Category Archives: Bits “N” Pieces

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Trade and Craft Shows

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In order to boost my sewn products I offer on my site Sew Country Diva, my ETSY Shop and more important …to get customer feed back, I decided to do a few craft shows locally in the Dunnville area. It’s been a few years since I did craft shows with my woodworking and glass engraving (20) and looked forward to getting my feet wet…so to speak.

First one was in South Cayuga, a small one with about 15 vendors and very good to try out my display and presentation. I got good feed back, sold a few items and passed out business cards. The beautiful red tree skirt sold and a few other Christmas type items. T’is the season. Thank you Sharon for taking my booking at such a late date. My daughter Lori came out to help, thank you!

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The next show Dec 3,  was at the Dunnville High School. It was pretty much the same as South Cayuga but with 40 venders. I was not on the wall and lost that display space, so sales were off but it was a good experience. I met some new talented people and re-acquainted with some old friends not seen for a while. Any one with food stuff was the winners at this show: cupcakes, home canned goods and baked sweets…even I bought some! My daughter Lori came out to help and support me…very grateful, thanks Lori!

Next on the list is the big one at the Art and Craft Show at the Dunnville Community Lifespan Centre, 75 Ramsay Drive in Dunnville ONT. Sat Dec 10 from  9am – 7 pm and Sun Dec 11,   10am -5 pm. I guess this is the busiest place in Dunnville with all the hockey and skating clubs using the ice rink every week end.

My booth is 10×10 this time and I can display a lot of goodies in that space. I made 2 new tree skirts a bunch of Christmas stockings, cell phone cases and make up bags.  These are not on my site yet, but will put what has not sold on the site as they are mostly one of a kind.

UPDATE: This show was pretty much a bust for me and most of the people with craft goodies. The artist were disappointed in the turn out too, but they were the draw and likely sold more than anyone else to the few people that did come to see the show. (So, hockey people only go for hockey at the arena, very few drifted in to see the show.)

Tracy Mae Chambers work her buns off putting this show together and it’s tough that it did not work out. Please visit her site, her art is fantastic! Tracy Mae Chambers, Metis Artist.”>

All in all, the retail experience was “interesting”.  2 days before Christmas, a couple drove all the way from Mississauga to Dunnville to buy the Angels on Blue tree skirt. The Rust one sold to a family in Hamilton and the Red one sold at the South Cayuga show.  Sold a few Phone/Gadget cases, Snack/Mug rugs, Elf Stocking and the Sachets at the shows, too.

Angels on Blue Christmas Tree Skirt

Most of my completed work is on my ETSY Shop , so stop by and have a look. I am adding more things all the time and focusing on my favorite, Quilts.

Preserving Summers Bounty 2011

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The nice thing about being retired (sort of) is finding the time to do all those things you never have the time or energy to do when punching a clock.  Living in the fruit belt of Ontario and with a very good farmers market in Dunnville, there is a host of products to preserve for the winter months.

We no longer have processing plants in Southern Ontario to take the fruit and veggies produced in our area. Big foreign business has taken over and closed them, moving the brand names out of the country or they bring in non-local foreign produce. Our lame Government in their wisdom, see  no reason to protect  the industry that feeds us or assist this very important industry.

Now it seems the fruit belt is being swallowed up with new houses, industry and highways.  The grocery store shelves have a scarcity of “Made in Canada” or “Made in Ontario”, but you can find canned peaches from South Africa!  Even when fresh peaches are in season, the stores are carrying peaches of some other country like Peru, USA  and Mexico.

So my concern is no only the economic repercussions, but health concerns with sanitation, canning methods not up to Canadian Standards, undeclared ingredients, chemicals used in growing the produce and a lot more.

I found with a little time each week (5 or 6 hours), I can preserve the bounty for the next year of all our favorites! I freeze very little so most produce ends up in bottles. Canning equipment and bottles are the big investment that will give you years of use but pay for themselves in short order. My pressure pot is now 30 years old and I just replaced the rubber rings from our local Home Hardware store.

Frost is expected soon, growing season is finished and now we can look forward to eating healthy while enjoying our own flavorful bounty.

Technorati Tags: Canning, Donna Blanke, Grown in Ontario, Lori Riley, Preserving summers bounty 2011, Shirley Jarrett